NOTE: This
is a page I've wanted to do for a long time. After
discovering the Beach Boys, I've sought out similar artists, who
both preceded and followed the sound templet that Brian Wilson
& Co. charted in the 1960s. While not all of the
artists here are directly related to the Beach Boys, their sound
closely adhears to the feel-good/melancholy
mixture that Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys so
successfully mined. Due to space constraints, I'll try to
list samplers or greatest hits collections of artists where possible,
rather than complete discographies, sort of a jumping board for those
who want to plunge into deeper waters.
Enjoy! The Four
Freshman: Capitol Collector's Series Capitol
93197 [CD]; Released January 21, 1999
1.
It's a Blue World [Forrest, Wright] 2:56
2. The Day Isn't Long Enough [Carey, Howard] 2:55
3. Poinciana [Bernier, Simon] 3:11
4. It Happened Once Before [Troup] 2:30
5. Please Remember [Gross, Troup] 2:51
6. We'll Be Together Again [Fischer, Laine] 3:09
7. Mood Indigo [Bigard, Ellington, Mills] 2:43
8. It Never Occurred to Me [Coleman, Oken, Persons] 3:06
9. Day by Day [Cahn, Stordahl, Weston] 1:58
10. How Can I Tell Her [Evans, Livingston] 2:38
11. Charmaine [Pollack, Rapee] 2:18
12. In This Whole Wide World [Cascales, Roland] 2:46
13. Angel Eyes [Brent, Dennis] 3:33
14. Love Is Just Around the Corner [Gensler, Robin] 2:02
15. Graduation Day [Sherman, Sherman] 3:06
16. Whistle Me Some Blues [Denison, Holiday] 2:35
17. It Could Happen to You [Burke, VanHeusen] 3:26
18. Candy [David, Kramer, Whitney] 2:16
19. Route 66 [Troup] 2:47
20. Their Hearts Were Full of Spring [Troup] 3:14
21. And So It's Over [#] [Barbour] 2:53
REVIEW: It's hard to believe now, but
this ultra-square (or ultra-cool, depending on how you look at it)
group is the inspriational spark that defined the sound of the
Beach Boys - namely, their thick, dynamic harmonies that no other group
could match then or now. According to Brian Wilson, one day
he heard one of his father's Four Freshman records
and immediately was able to fathom the group's complex four-part
harmonies and duplicate them by enlisting his family
and a school chum. And it's here, on this concise collection
of their signature songs, that you hear just how reverently
Brian borrowed from the Freshman, whether it was the
thick harmonic dynamics on "Keep An Eye On Summer" or the note-for-note
recreation of "Graduation Day" and "Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring"
(both of which can be found here in their original incarnations),
you'll have no problem identifying the well-spring of inspiration that
jump-started the Beach Boys 'sound.' But where the
hottest the Freshman ever got was the occasional swing or bossa-nova
rhythm, Brian Wilson fused the Freshman's harmonies with Chuck Berry's
R&B and the hot drive of Dick Dale's jittery guitar licks into
a wholly unique, American sound. You can hear the Beach Boys'
forebearers on this CD, but it's only a part of what became the
whole. An interesting listen for those who love the Beach
Boys' harmonies, and if you like this album, you ought to check out the
Freshman's swinging Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones/Four Trumpets
two-fer; it's a good time.
Phil
Spector: Back To Mono
(1958-1969) [Box Set] Abkco
7118 [CD]; Released November 12, 1991
REVIEW:
Brian Wilson worshipped at the
feet of Phil Spector. Doting on such singles as The Ronettes' "Be My
Baby" (still his all-time favorite song) Brian never felt like he left
the shadow the the enigmatic producer whose output and stylistic "Wall
Of Sound" were expressly responsible for the Beach Boys incredible
backing tracks. Not only did Brian imitate Spector's production
methods, he borrowed Phil's session players, the 'Wrecking Crew' in
order to duplicate the dense sound that Spector produced in the studio.
Phil Spector is the closest thing to Brian Wilson there is: a talented
writer and producer whose uncanny knack for writing hit singles landed
him at the top of the charts again and again and in the process created
some of the most enduring singles in the history of Rock 'n' Roll: "To
Know Him Is To Love Him," "I Love How You Love Me," "There's No Other
Like My Baby," "He's A Rebel," "He's Sure The Boy I Love, "Da Doo Ron
Ron," "Chapel Of Love" and "River Deep, Mountain High." When it came to
choosing and producing three-minute singles, Spector was king. And the
talent he worked with is the envy of producers everywhere: Ronnie
Spector, The Righteous Brothers, Tina Turner, and Darlene Love, just to
name a few. Where Brian eventually surpassed Spector
(and where Spector failed to go) is in the development of the album as
an art form. The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and countless other artists
took advantage of the greater fidelity and playing time of the LP and
began to construct suites of music that strung together
stylistically. And Brian's production was cleaner
and brighter than Spector's - Spector's singles could sound
like a clap of thunder coming out of the car speakers, but
Brian's productions sparkled with clarity, he separated and highlighted
each instrument, while Spector buried his in ever heavier
layers. Make no mistake, this stuff packs a tremendous punch,
both sonically and musically; it's absolutely essential pop history as
vital and alive now as it ever was. It's easy to see why
Brian emulated this excruciating pop craftsman in his own recordings.
Rock
Instrumental Classics: Vol. 5: Surf
Rhino/WEA
71605
[CD]; Released March 22, 1994
1.
Pipeline - The Chantays
2. Mr. Moto - The Belairs
3. Wipe Out - The Surfaris
4. Underwater - The Frogmen
5. Misirlou - Dick Dale And The Del-Tones
6. Diamond Head - The Ventures
7. Baja - The Astronauts
8. Surfer's Stomp - The Mar-Kets
9. Bustin' Surfboards - The Tornadoes
10. Penetration - The Pyramids
11. Mr. Rebel - Eddie and The Showmen
12. Fiberglass Jungle - The Crossfires
13. K-39 - The Challengers
14. Point Panic - The Surfaris
15. Let's Go Trippin' - Dick Dale And The Del-Tones
16. Surf Rider - The Lively Ones
17. Soul Surfer - Johnny Fortune
18. The Lonely Surfer - Jack Nitzsche
REVIEW: It's
difficult to understand why Brian would want to try and break into the
surf-music genre in the beginning of the band's career; Brian wasn't a
surfer, and "surf music" at that time was dominated by instrumental
music, and a handful of R&B artists; there's never really been
an adequate explanation of his and Mike's decision to accept Dennis's
enthusiastic suggestion to write about surfing unless you accept the
concept that the band was trying to come up with a hook that would
resonate with teenagers. And then it's easier to see how The
Beach Boys' entry into this narrow genre would change not only its
sound, but American music. This single CD is the ideal
starting place to peek into Surf Music at its most successful. The
formula for it was simple: jittery guitars set at maximum reverb,
barely-restrained drumming, an amphetamene-laced progress which was set
to simulate the surfing experience, and the occasional insane laugh
inserted to demonstrate a disregard for life and limb. This
was highly sexual music - muscular, taut, and meant to be viewed as
dangerous - the entire rock ethos in a two-minute long ride.
There's the creepy wail of "Wipe Out" by the Surfaris, the
moody, dangerous progressions in The Pyramids' "Penetration", two cuts
by the "King" of surf music, Dick Dale and The Del-Tones,
which made the whole genre viable; and then there's the panoramic soul
of the surfer laid bare in Jack Nitzsche's "The Lonely Surfer".
Other gems include the echo-drenched "Fiberglass Jungle" by
The Crossfires, the surprisingly sophisticated stylings of "Baja" by
the Astronauts, the grinding "Underwater" by the Frogmen, and the
haunting, unforgettable "Pipeline" by The Chantays. It's
clear by listening to this that The Beach Boys were never really "surf
music" artists - they took what they heard, and changed it into
something new.
Jan
& Dean: All The Hits - From Surf
City To Drag City EMI
Records 8 53730 2 [CD]; Released November
12, 1996
In the beginning,
the Beach Boys were lumped together with Jan & Dean as a sort
of "surf and drag" genre. And for the most part, that was
true; The Beach Boys and Jan & Dean ran in the same
circles for several years, singing and performing each other's songs,
and hanging out together. It's no secret that J&D's
biggest hit, "Surf City" was given to them by Brian Wilson, and Dean
was an uncredited singer on one of the Beach Boys biggest hits,
"Barbara Ann." But for all that, Jan Berry and Dean Torrence
were really no match for the Beach Boys, as this comprehensive
compilation proves. Whereas Brian Wilson felt constricted by
the Car and Surf labels put on him, Jan & Dean revelled in
it. They started out as sort've cut-rate Everly Brothers,
doing two-part teeny-bopper love songs like "Jenny Lee" and "Baby Talk"
that had heavier doo-wop rhythms than other aritsts, but eventually
hooked into the surfing scene and had tremendous success with the
aforementioned "Surf City," "She's My Summer Girl" and "Ride The Wild
Surf." They also heavily mined the Car and Drag circuit with
"Drag City," "Three Window Coupe" and the prophetic "Dead Man's Curve"
(the very curve where Jan Berry nearly lost his life.) They
also had no compuction against recording novelty numbers like "Sidewalk
Surfin'," "The Little Old Lady From Pasedena" and "The
Anaheim, Azusa & Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review And
Timing Association" which knocks them down a couple of notches in most
respectable rock 'n' roll circles. What may surprise those
who haven't investigated Jan & Dean are how they evolved much
like the Beach Boys in the sound, especially during 1965-'66 when Jan
Berry began to write and produce songs that were richer and meatier in
their subject matter, like the excellent "You Really Know How To Hurt A
Guy," It's A Shame To Say Goodbye" and the "Dead Man's Curve" retread:
"A Beginning From An End." Jan and Dean were also able to
utilize Phil Spector's backing musicians, dubbed "The Wrecking Crew"
for most of their recordings, which makes them sound much better and
polished than the typical surf-rock music that was being
released. But for all their success, Jan & Dean never
really outgrew their light surf-rock stylings, and it's here, on
this double-CD compilation, that their best-known and
best loved hits can be found. Jan & Dean have a
simple sound, two-part harmony with songs that lean heavily on surf
guitar and revving car engines, and they still have the power to
hearken back to a simpler time that evokes good vibrations for many
fans. For a more complete look at their discography check out
my related
artist page on Jan & Dean.
Or
purchase from Amazon.co.uk: Jan
& Dean
The
Four Seasons: The Very Best of Frankie Valli and the
Four Seasons Rhino Records 74494 [CD];
Released January 14, 2003
For
a little while, Brian Wilson considered not the Beatles, but the Four
Seasons as the Beach Boys' main artistic rivals. At first
glance, this makes sense; both groups were formed around the sound of a
high falsetto lead voice, with rich backing vocals covering a rock 'n'
roll beat. But that's where the similarities end.
Where the Beach Boys were carving out a distinctive West Coast sound to
go with their reshaping of the California image, Frankie Valli and the
Seasons were pure East Coast, and their songs had a hard-edged swagger
to them that Brian Wilson never had. And despite their
similar harmonic structures, Valli's falsetto was far more poweful and
punchy than Brian's, where brian was a flute, Frankie was a soprano
sax: he growled more in his phrasing, and vocally seemed to carry a
large chip on his shoulder. The songs that they
sung, mostly written and produced by studio wizard Bob Gaudio,
were street vingnettes of the city - and had their roots in New York
Doo-Wop tradition that emphasized rhythm and masculinity over the
prettier ballads of the crooners. These songs are still
great, from the declaratory "Walk Like A Man" to
the tear-your-heart-out cry of "Sherry" and the
street smart attitude of "Big Girls Don't Cry" the Season pioneered a
sound like no one else. But whereas the Beach Boys music grew
richer and more relevant in the mid-to-late Sixties, the Seasons music
grew more and more irrelevant as the decade progressed, being too
locked into the late-50's doo-wop style that they never really
abandoned. But still, the Seasons' best is very good indeed,
and it's all here from their first big hit to their surprising 70's
combacks "Who Loves You" and "Oh, What A Night." Great
singing and great songs.
The
Honeys: The Honeys Collection Collector's
Choice Music CCM163-2 [CD]; Released June 21,
2001
A page on artists
related to the Beach Boys simply couldn't be complete without at least
one CD of The Honeys - I mean one of the members was married to Brian
Wilson and is the mother of Carnie and Wendy Wilson - it just doesn't
get more familial than that! The Honeys were formed
by two Rovell sisters, Marilyn (nee
Wilson) and Diane, as well as Ginger Blake. Their early
material was written and produced by Brian Wilson, Gary Usher, and
Diane himself, as well as many others, and their early sound
was consciously styled to be a compliment to the Beach Boys, with the
songs glamorizing the California "two girls for every guy" surfer
ideal. Therefore you have songs like "Shoot The Curl,"
"Surfin' Down The Swanee River," "Pray For Surf," and "Three Surfer
Boys" dominating the first third of the disc, and while they all bear
the inimitable stamp of Brian Wilson's production flair, none of the
songs are really top-notch, and a few are pretty dumb "(Oly Oxen Free
Free Free) Hide Go Seek") - but all of them have that early-sixties
charm that you can find in practically any Gidget movie; a throwback to
a more innocent time. But there are a couple of knockouts
here that rank with any of the best Girl Group songs out there: "The
One You Can't Have" and "He's A Doll" are sparkling gems that deserved
greater chart play than they received, with Brian's deft production
touches pushing the fine songcraft over the top. Other tunes
also come off very well, with a wall-of-soundish "In The Still Of The
Night" benefiting from a thick three-part harmony arrangement and dense
backing track, and for collectors, the inclusion of the rare Glen
Campbell song "Guess I'm Dumb" (which the Honeys provided
backing vocals for) is a real treat. This collection leans
most heavily on tracks from the mid-sixties, with just a couple of
extremely rare cuts culled from The Honeys 1983 album Ecstasy.
Unfortunately, the producers have missed some fine cuts from the 1972
album Spring, when the Honeys were calling
themselves American Spring, which prevents this album from being a
truly comprehensive overview of this often overlooked Girl Group.
Ronny
And The Daytonas: G.T.O. - Best Of The Mala Recordings Mala
4001 [LP]Sundazed
Music 11406 [CD]; Released February 13, 1997
Ronny and the Daytonas were another
"manufactured" group that hung onto the coat-tales of the Beach Boys,
but this time hailed from Nashville, Tennesee! Comprised
mostly of John "Bucky" Wilkin and producer Bergen White, who although
he hated rock 'n' roll music, agreed to produce Wilkin's single "Little
G.T.O." which became a huge hit, and an album was quickly recorded to
capitalize on its success. Although the songs are mostly
second-rate Beach Boys wannabes, there are a few real gems, from the
corny "Tiger-a-go-go" to the too-obvious homage "Beach Boy" to the
dreamy and wonderful ballad "Sandy" (which was recorded on their
ballad-heavy second album). In fact the second half of this
album is far more enjoyable than the first - sort of like the Daytonas
version of The Beach Boys' "Today!" album, which had a rocking first
half and the second half veered off into more introspective
ballads. Although John Wilkin's sentiments never dug as
deeply as Brian Wilson's (whose did?) it's still expertly produced,
beautifully composed ballads that push this compilation above the
average hot-rod/surf bands that were springing up in the
early-Sixties. In the informative liner notes John Wilkin
admits to trying to copy the Beach Boys' sound, and to some degree (and
in a way he probably didn't realize) he succeeded. A real
find, and worth checking out for the startling contrast of styles in
evidence.
The
Rip Chords: Hey Little Cobra And Other Hot Rod Hits Sundazed
Music 6098 [CD]; Released August 20, 1996
The Rip Chords were nothing but another
front for talented producers/songwriters/singers Bruce Johnston and
Terry Melcher. True contemporaries of The Beach Boys (with
one a future member), Bruce and Terry had a distinctive sound which,
although they tried to match the vocal prowess of The Beach Boys,
sounds far more compressed and robotic than the Beach Boys ever did,
since the songwriters multi-tracked their own voices and then
compressed everything on a primitive recorder. So although
the Rip Chords' sound has never been my favorite, there is undeniable
fun and energy here as they focus their songs on cars and
racing. "Hey Little Cobra" was a solid hit, and fans of the
Beach Boys will find that song as well as a few covers of Brian Wilson
songs, in the form of "409," "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Shut Down"
included. None of these covers come close to matching the
charm and sound that the Beach Boys could produce, but is interesting
for comparison, and other songs here, from "Here I Stand" to "Ding
Dong" (a personal favorite, more in the style of 50's rock 'n' roll
than most) and the Everly Brothers tear-'em-up clone "Karen" are enough
to keep most listeners happy. This album is paired with
Sundazed's other Rip Chords compilation, Three
Window Coupe (),
(which also has some excellent songs as well) which finishes out Bruce
& Terry's run as this fun, fictional hot rod group.
The Astronauts: Competition Coupe/Astronauts Orbit Campus Collectables 2708 [CD]; Released October 21,
1997
1. Little
Ford Ragtop
2. Competiton Coupe
3. Hearse, The
4. '55 Bird
5. Devil Drivers Theme
6. Happy Ho-Daddy
7. Our Car Club
8. Devil Driver
9. Chevy Scarfer
10. 4:56 Stingray
11. El Aguila (The Eagle)
12. 650 Scrambler
13. Johnny B. Goode
14. Be-Bop-A-Lu-La
15. Good Golly Miss Molly
16. Let The Good Times Roll
17. Linda Lou
18. Bony Moronie
19. Diddy Wah Diddy
20. Roll Over Beethoven
21. Shop Around
22. Greenback Dollar
23. Summertime
24. Sticks And Stones
REVIEW:
The Astronauts, a surf
band who were
contemporaries of the Beach Boys, were typical of the plethora of
instrumental bands who dipped their toes into vocal tracks after the
Beach Boys began to hit it big. In fact, in many ways these
five guys from Boulder, Colorado were best known for their one big hit,
the instrumental "Baja." In fact, this group can almost be
considered the flip side of the Beach Boys; whereas the Beach Boys were
primarily a vocal band who occasionally recorded instrumentals, The
Astronauts were instrumentalists who occasionally tried out vocals, and
it's on this representative two-LPs on one CD album that you can hear
The Astronauts give their most comprehensive vocal workout
ever. Competition Coupe is by far their
most vocal album ever, and with its drag racing theme closely echoing
the Beach Boys' own "409" vibe, Beach Boys fans might just want to
check it out. From the R&B of "Little Ford Ragtop"
and "Competition Coupe" to the jumping "Our Car Club" (not the Beach
Boys version), it's apparent that The Astronauts hewed much
closer to the true spirit of surf and drag music than The
Beach Boys ever did. The Astronauts had a far
greater affinity for R&B than Brian Wilson, and when they sing,
the harmony vocals are mixed much more into the background, allowing
the lead singer to belt out hot covers of hits by Chuck Berry, Little
Richard, and Gene Vincent. You'll hear this especially on the
"live" album which comprises the second half of this CD, with the
Astronauts breaking loose in full-out white-soul ecstacy in front of a
appreciative crowd. Strangely, the Astronauts sound far
rougher and spend far less time churning out instrumentals in their
live set, concentrating almost exclusively on vocal covers of
R&B classics. Still, this is a great party CD, and a
look at why several surf/rock bands simply weren't in the same league
as the adventureous, far more complex Beach Boys. If
you like what you hear on this CD, check out their comprehensive box
set: The
Legendary Group at Their Best on the Collectables label.
Glen
Campbell: The Capitol Years 65/77 EMI International 821834
[CD]; Released December 14, 1999
Features:
46 tracks from
Campbell's twelve years at Capitol Records
Hits include:
"Gentle On My Mind", By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "Rhinestone
Cowboy", "Witchita Lineman,"
"Southern Nights" and many more.
Rare b-sides and
singles, including the Brian Wilson-penned "Guess I'm Dumb".
REVIEW:
I
haven't had anyone, in all the years I've run the site, really ask
about Glen Campbell, who played on several of the Beach Boys studio
session in the early-to-mid sixties, and who filled in for Brian on
tour before embarking on a solo career. To be honest, I've
never
paid him much attention either, always lumping him in with other early
country-crossover artists and MOR singers from the 1970s. But
this double-disc import CD has changed my mind about
Campbell,
and about his talent. I was surprised to hear strong
likenesses
to the early folk-pop of John
Denver, as well as
the Country-Rock music
co-pioneered by former Monkee Michael
Nesmith.
Along with
these
likenesses, there are also powerful art-pop influences in these
story-songs, with lots of Cambell's powerful, supple singing and
sensitive guitar work that made him so invaluable as a session player
for the Beach Boys, and on stage. Of key interest to Beach
Boys
fans will be the song that Brian Wilson penned as a "thank-you" to
Campbell for his help with touring - the art-rock song "Guess I'm Dumb"
which prefigures some of the extraordinary work that Brian would bring
to Pet Sounds
and Smile.
And while there have been numerous other compilations which
try
to touch all the bases in Campbell's incredibly strong catalog, it's
this double disc import that remains strong from beginning to end, with
nary a weak track in the bunch. If you're a big fan of The
Beach
Boys music from Today
through Pet Sounds,
I'd recommend you give these tracks a listen - it's powerful music
that's worth hearing. I'm seriously considering checking out
more music from his catalog as well.
The
Fantastic Baggys: Anywhere The Girls Are! Sundazed
Music 11084 [CD]; Released December 19, 2000
The Fantastic Baggys (named after the
popular shorts that surfers wore) were, like The Rip Chords and Ronny
and the Daytonas, a completely manufactured group (and remember, this
was years before the Monkees!) which consisted of songwriters Phil
"P.F" Sloan and Steve Barri who had notable success recording
as a fictional band styled after The Beach Boys. The
songwriters weren't shy about blatantly ripping off other songs, as you
can hear on the lead-off track "Surfin' Craze," which is so similar to
"Surfin' USA" in sound and performance it could almost be an alternate
take from the Beach Boys' vaults! And since the Baggys were a
one-album phenomenon, there is no artistic growth to be found, but
there is lots and lots of Surf/Sun/Girls/Cars to be found in this
generous 28-track compilation. It doesn't hurt that
the lead singer is a vocal ringer for Mike Love, right down to the
too-nasal delivery, or that the Baggys have a disturbingly
high ratio of phallic-themed songs: "This Little Woody," "Wax
Up Your Board," "A Surfer Boy's Dream Come True" and "Big Gun Board"
all tout the <cough!> attributes of these
one-track-minded surfers. Putting all that aside however, the
Fantastic Baggys have an impressive sound, nearly matching in tone and
style The Beach Boys themselves - and if the songs are stuck in
surf/car mode throughout, well, you can blame it on Summer.
The Many Moods of Murry Wilson
Capitol
ST-2819 [LP], Released 1967; Toshiba EMI (Japan) 66037 [CD], Released
2002
1. Love Won't Wait
(Murry Wilson) 3:14
2. The Happy Song (Eck Kynor) 2:06
3. The Warmth Of The Sun (Brian Wilson) 2:46
4. Broken Heart (George Kizanis) 2:11
5. Leaves (Murry Wilson) 2:41
6. The Plumbers Tune (Eck Kynor) 2:23
7. Painting With Teardrops (Murry Wilson) 2:35
8. Island In The Sky (Rick Henn) 2:54
9. Just 'Round The River Bend (Don Falke/Deeda Patrick) 2:12
10. Italia (Alan Jardine) 2:31
11. Heartbreak Lane (Murry Wilson) 2:41
12. Betty's Waltz (Murry Wilson/Audree Wilson) 1:49
Arranged and conducted by Don
Ralke Conceived and Produced by Murry Wilson
REVIEW: Sometimes,
you just have to wonder what genetic pool Brian Wilson's
talent springs from. Much like Mozart,
Brian's paternal heritage seems to be the only
logical source, and, much like Amadeus, Brian's talent far eclipsed his
father's, which seemed an unending source of gall to Murry
Wilson. Biographers contantly point to his one published
song: "Two-Step Side Step," which was recorded by none other than
Lawrence Welk, as Murry's single claim to fame. Murry used
that single song to claim dominance over his son in the studio, in
songwriting ability, and in lording over Brian at every chance he
got. But it's in this 1967 LP that regular folks really got a
chance to see the senior Wilson could do. To be honest, The
Many Moods of Murry Wilson isn't a terrible album, it's
simply unmemorable, old-fashioned, and for the times it was released
in, hopelessly square. None of the songs here really make an
impression, unless it's the familiar melody of Brian's "The Warmth Of
The Sun," or the cool spy jazz intro to "The Plumbers Tune" which then
devolves into horrible, tweaky organ solo with seasick strings gulping
behind it. If this album had been released in, say, 1959 - it
would have fit right into the generic lounge slush which was being
produced en masse at the time, but in 1967, not only was this album
hopelessly anachronistic, it was doomed by the association to the
then-sinking Beach Boys, who were in full flame-out mode with Smiley
Smile. And how does Al Jardine's "Italia"
fare? Well, to be honest, it fits in perfectly, which is
pretty damning - it's a cutsy, cloying, bouncy piece of
nostalgia which sounds like nothing else he's ever written.
My favorite track on the album is the comparitively moody and subtle
"Islands In The Sky" by Sunrays member Rick Henn, which sounds slyly
cool and subdued. But the bulk of the album is swirling
strings, fluttering organ, and pedestrian melodies. For
completists only.
, as well as
the Country-Rock music
co-pioneered by former Monkee 
